Is China’s Reform and Opening Era Over?

A special note of thanks from Managing Editor Catherine Putz as the magazine marks its 100th issue.

Xi changed China’s trajectory from the “Reform and Opening Up” of his predecessors toward a more internal and state-focused model of economic development.

Seven years after the Paris Agreement, Pacific Islanders demonstrate leadership and resolve in the face of the climate crisis.

From 2015-2020, Myanmar seemed on the cusp of a meaningful transformation. Then the coup set the country back decades.

China’s growing importance to – and influence over – Tajikistan is a case study in Beijing’s geopolitical rise over the past decades.

The Diplomat’s publisher, James Pach, talks about our mission, the magazine, and what issues he’s watching most closely in Asia.

Beijing has been reluctant to voice any criticisms of the Taliban regime in Kabul, despite alarming developments in both human rights and cross-border terrorism. 

The most public case of China’s tech-enabled surveillance efforts comes just as the new U.S. Congress ramps up its efforts to address the China-U.S. competition. 

Beijing is rejecting the G-7’s price caps on oil and potentially providing other important economic support for Moscow.

A study by Doublethink Lab suggests that China’s pressure tactics are not making countries adopt foreign policies favorable to Beijing.

Since taking up his post, Qin Gang has undertaken a flurry of outreach to key partners, especially in phone conversations.

A whirlwind of diplomacy in early 2023 drives home the newly enlarged role Europe plays in Tokyo’s foreign policy. 

Surging energy prices, along with Russia’s weaponization of energy against European states, have influenced South Korean thinking on the energy transition and energy security.

Abe Shinzo learned the hard way: Voters don’t care about foreign policy achievements if the economy is struggling.

Extreme caution is required when interpreting the public appearances of Kim Jong Un’s daughter.

A shift to values-based diplomacy must not jeopardize Japan’s long history of close engagement with the developing world.

Built on landslide debris, the town was unstable to begin with. The construction of dams and roads has compounded its problems.

Pakistan’s bargaining chips vis-à-vis Washington have dwindled dramatically, but Islamabad may still seek to use its security relevance for greater attention.

While capitalizing on its domestic tech skills, India will need to enter into collaborative tech alliances to make itself an integral part of the global semiconductor industry.

Recent visits to Colombo by top officials from India and the U.S. illustrate how Sri Lanka’s power sector is becoming a theater of big power rivalry.

Railway transportation re-opened from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan after a recent suspension was lifted, but key questions remain.

Myanmar’s future is ill served by an Asian giant punching well below its diplomatic weight.

The U.S. military has no concrete plans to return to the naval base it vacated in 1992, but Subic Bay’s defense industry anticipates an economic boom.

In both China and Vietnam, the governments have deliberately tried to bury memories of their 1979 war.

What motivated President Joko Widodo’s recent acknowledgement of gross past human rights abuses?

For a party living under the constant fear of crackdown or dissolution, it might be wise to downplay its chances at the July poll.

The massive earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria last month is a warning siren to Central Asia, plagued by many of the same geologic and political risks.

The repercussions of the apparent vulnerabilities in Uzbekistan’s energy system have wide implications, none more serious than for Afghanistan.

Gender inequality and stereotypes, especially in health, education, and command over economic resources, make women more vulnerable to HIV and to other related conditions.

In prison (mostly) since 2019, the former Kyrgyz president was granted yet another retrial but also released and allowed to leave the country.

An unusual diaspora – Indian medical students evacuated from Ukraine last year – has found community in a small Catholic church in Samarkand.

With the AUKUS agreement, Australia is making a bet on the future – and placing its chips with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Despite recent signs of a diplomatic thaw, nothing has changed in the policies of either China or Australia.

For Pacific Islanders, who feel a strong guardianship over the Pacific Ocean, Japan’s plan to release contaminated water into the ocean is of critical importance. 

The opposition politician was removed by a parliamentary vote of no confidence in the Solomon Islands, resulting in protests and further accusations of Chinese interference.

Congress’ embrace of a more hawkish China policy has U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific worried.

U.S. involvement in the region needs a larger economic component – an area where U.S. policy used to be strong.

The incorporation of the Burma Act in the 2023 NDAA has raised strong public expectations in Myanmar that substantial U.S. support will be forthcoming.

South Korea is considering acquiring its own nuclear weapons, why isn’t Japan doing the same?

Underlying the leaks is the real concern that sensitive personal information could end up in Beijing’s hands.

Yes, the Afghan Taliban’s victory emboldened the TTP. But Islamabad also missed its chance to deal the group a decisive blow.

Will Islamic State Khorasan Province push Beijing to abandon Kabul?

In what ways may an experience of a different history of faiths shape non-Western fantasy?

Social media has been abuzz with Bangladeshis opposing the making of “Faraaz,” mostly averring that it is Bangladesh’s story to tell.

The Japanese government’s handling of homophobic comments by a top aide is under intense scrutiny as it seeks to revive a formally shelved LGBTQ bill.